PM will unveil 'colourblind' CV plan to end discrimination

David Cameron is expected to announce new scheme backed by leading employers

Written by Elizabeth Pears
26/10/2015 11:56 AM

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'END DISCRIMINATION': David Cameron

DAVID CAMERON is expected to make good on his promise to end workplace discrimination with a new scheme to prevent black jobseekers from being discriminated against.

Under a new agreement - not supported by legislation but backed by leading graduate employers in the private and public sector - names will not be made visible on applications.

Organisations that have signed up to the initiative include the Civil Service, Teach First, HSBC, Deloitte, Virgin Money, KPMG, BBC, NHS, learndirect and local authorities.

The Prime Minister is due to make the announcement at a Downing Street roundtable later today (October 26).

An extract from the address Cameron released by the cabinet office reads: "I said in my conference speech [earlier this month] that I want us to end discrimination and finish the fight for real equality in our country today.

"Today we are delivering on that commitment and extending opportunity to all. If you’ve got the grades, the skills and the determination this Government will ensure that you can succeed."

During that keynote address in Manchester, Cameron said: "Do you know that in our country today, even if they have exactly the same qualifications, people with white-sounding names are nearly twice as likely to get callbacks for jobs than people with ethnic-sounding names?"

He went on to call the research findings "disgraceful".

A study last week revealed that British Africans were among the most qualified in the UK, and therefore more likely to be in jobs they were over-qualified for.

Business in the Community's (BITC) race equality campaign, Race for Opportunity, will next month publish some of its findings of the largest race and employment survey in the UK shedding further light on the state of diversity across various industries.

The chief executive of the Civil Service, John Mazoni, said his team would take the lead on the new initiative.

He said: "I'm delighted to expand the Civil Service’s use of name-blind applications – not just for all graduate and apprenticeship level roles, but for many other external applications too.

"It's vital that the Civil Service takes a lead on this, and I’m confident that this important step will help us build an organisation that is even more talented, diverse and effective than it is today."

The Conservative Party will also meet the terms of the pledge, it was revealed.